The story follows Henry Lee, a Chinese American boy in 1942 Seattle who falls in love with Keiko Okabe, a Japanese American girl. As the U.S. government forces the incarceration of all Japanese Americans, their innocent romance is torn apart. A key, romantic moment in their brief relationship is when the real-life jazz legend Oscar Holden, who lives in their neighborhood, discovers the young couple listening to his music from an alley. He then performs a new song for them, which he dedicates "to the two lovebirds in the alley," calling it the .
In the narrative of Ford's novel, the song serves as a powerful symbol of connection during World War II:
His children—most notably Oscar Holden Jr., Dave Holden, and the iconic vocalist Grace Holden—carried the torch of the family's musical tradition. His daughter, Davee, and grandson, David Holden Jr., continued to perform, ensuring that the specific blend of blues and jazz pioneered by the family patriarch remained alive for subsequent generations. alley cat strut oscar holden
From behind a stack of discarded wooden pallets, a creature emerged. It was a ragged thing, a tomcat with a coat that looked like a patchwork of smoke and ash. One ear was notched, a souvenir from a past territory dispute. He moved with a fluid, rhythmic grace, placing each paw with the deliberate precision of a percussionist.
"Alley Cat Strut" by Oscar Holden & the Midnight Blue is a perfect example of how fiction can illuminate forgotten truths. In a mere song title on a fictional record, Jamie Ford managed to capture the life of a real jazz legend, the history of a community destroyed by injustice, and the profound power of love and memory to endure. The story follows Henry Lee, a Chinese American
: The "strut" also refers to the physical rhythm of stride piano. Holden's left-hand technique created a walking, strutting bassline that kept audiences dancing until dawn. The Holden Musical Dynasty
Oscar Holden’s influence extended far beyond his own performances. He and his wife, Leola, raised a family of musicians who shaped the sound of the Pacific Northwest for decades. A key, romantic moment in their brief relationship
Furthermore, modern "New Orleans bounce" producers have sampled the bass line from the 1954 Holden Brothers version. In 2006, underground hip-hop producer Madlib interpolated a four-bar loop of on a track for Madvillainy 2 , introducing a new generation to Oscar Holden’s swagger.